The Council of International Students Australia has called on education institutions to better protect students from overseas, following a spate of crimes targeting international students in Melbourne.

While study abroad can be a huge asset in the graduate job market, many graduates are unable to articulate the benefits of these experiences to potential employers, stakeholders warned at a symposium on student mobility in the Asia Pacific region.

Alumni engagement, substantive partnership building and improving the student experience topped the discussion agenda at APAIE's annual conference in Melbourne, signalling what many in the region say is a phase of professionalisation in the Asia Pacific.